A Winter School on “Skill development in Advanced Production Techniques with Value Addition in High Value Fruit Crops” was organize for the 25 tribal farmers of Jamunamarathur village, Thiruvanamalai Dist. From 09^th October 2025 to 07^th November 2025. The programme started with welcome address by Dr. R. Senthil Kumar, Principal Scientist & Head (i/c), Division of Social Sciences & Training. Dr. V. Sankar, Principal Scientist, Division of Social Sciences & Training delivered a brief introduction about the program. The programme was inaugurated by Dr. Tusar Kanti Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, delivered the felicitation address. After the inauguration session Dr. R. B. Tiwari, Principal Scientist briefed about the value addition process and it potential to improve the income of the farmers. Then the farmers were taken to the PHT product development lab for practical demonstration by Dr. P. Preethi, Senior Scientist, Division of Post Harvest Technology. In the following month various theoretical classes followed by the hands on training about the value addition processes in various fruit crops, mainly on Custard apple, avocado & Guava PHT products. Dr. Bhuvaneshwari S, Principal Scientist, Division of Post Harvest Technology took the class on supply chain management, branding and marketing at the time of visit to BESST HORT.

The training was completed on 07^th November, 2025 and official valedictory session was conducted on 02^nd December, 2025. At the valedictory session participants shared their feedback, expressing satisfaction with the training content and exposure, finally the certificate to the trainees were handed over by Dr. Tusar Kanti Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR. Also, he stressed the importance of putting the knowledge they gained during the training program into use and to become a good entrepreneur.